Shops and pubs line up to blast Boris
‘We need leadership’
PRET a Manger founder Julian Metcalfe said: ‘The industries that keep this country going, they’re all expected to go to work, our hospitals and everyone in them. What happens to the thousands who look after and maintain shopping centres? The ramifications of this are enormous.
‘Not, everyone stay at home for six months and we’ll see where we are because the scientists – all disagreeing with each other – have said X, Y or Z. It’s just nonsense. We have 1,400 staff, we’ve probably halved that now. We need leadership, not exaggerated nonsense. To say stay at home for six months and to spout off some Churchillian nonsense about we’ll make it through, it’s terribly unhelpful to this country.
‘This talk of six months is criminal, it should be “We will review it, we are here to serve you as civil servants... we will review the information and the data each week, each hour, we will behave like responsible people”.’
‘Punishing for thousands’
CAMRA chief executive Tom Stainer said: ‘This is punishing the thousands of responsible publicans. Make no mistake about this – without a proper financial support package, communities will lose their local for ever, people will lose their jobs, and publicans their livelihoods.’
‘Devastating for pubs’
EMMA McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association,
said: ‘The latest restrictions are devastating for our pubs who were already struggling to break even. The curfew will take away a key trading period during this delicate time of recovery for our sector.
‘Asking people to work from home will see town and city pubs hit even harder.’
‘Hanging by a thread’
DIRECTOR general of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, said: ‘City centre retailers continue to be devastated by low footfall and poor sales...Many retailers are hanging on by a thread.
‘Future’s in the balance’
KATE Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: ‘The future of the sector is still very much in the balance. Many venues have still not reopened and those that have are operating at reduced capacity and a fraction of normal revenue. The additional restrictions place even further burdens on a sector that is operating with razor-thin margins.’
‘It’s beyond belief’
REVOLUTION Bars chief executive Rob Pitcher said: ‘It’s beyond belief that they have brought in the 10pm curfew with no evidence to back it up.’
‘Great threat to recovery’
DELIVEROO founder Will Shu said: ‘These restrictions pose a great threat to the recovery of the sector in the months ahead.’
‘Random and arbitrary’
WETHERSPOON chairman Tim Martin said: ‘The main problem with the 10pm curfew is that it’s another random and arbitrary move by the Government, which lacks logic or scientific credibility.’
‘Unnecessary restrictions’
SIMON Emeny, chief executive at Fuller Smith & Turner, said: ‘Our pubs are socially distanced, our cleaning regimes are superb and we have invested in digital methods to help with Track and Trace. Our reward for this investment and co-operation is further unnecessary restrictions.’
‘Devastating challenge’
FASHION designer Sir Paul Smith said: ‘During my 50 years there have been many challenges but I have to admit none as devastating as this one.’